The Lost Boys / ATL, PTV, OMAM - AU

I'm back were I belong

Austin sat down on one of the flat stones and motioned for me to sit beside him then he rubbed his hands and smiled at me.
"So, I'm all yours now. What is your story, Mel?"

I have to admit he is very charming, why don't I remember him from the other side? Why did he come out of my house the other day? Were we living together? Roommates maybe? Or even more?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and try to sort out what I wanted to tell him but it was so confusing for myself that I couldn't get a clear idea so I gave up with a sigh and just started to tell him what popped in my head in no particular order. We would try and make sense of it later, I guess.

"Look Austin, strange things happen to me and I don't know if you can help me but you seem to know more than the boys so that's why I'm here to find out what's going on." I look at him for approval and he just nods and looks to the ground between us concentrating on listening to what I had to say.

"I seem to switch between two different realities repeatedly, I can't control when or how I do it. Both lives seem real to me. This one here with you guys where I thought I was spending my holidays and my other one in New York, where I work and live and have friends and stuff."
I hesitate not really sure how to continue and Austin looks up and takes my hands rubbing circles with his thumbs to encourage me to go on.

"I seem to forget a lot of things and people but I know you guys here and also on the other side, well you are the same but not exactly the same, urgh it's, - it's so hard to explain."

I get frustrated by all the things that makes no sense. "The boys were surprised that I could see them and that I know their names, when I first came here and the boys look younger than on the other side."

I don't know what else to tell him, I don't want to voice my fears but I decide that I have to talk to someone. So I mumble. "Maybe, maybe I'm just going insane."

Austin shakes his head at this then he looks up thinking hard for a moment. "Look Mel, I don't fully understand what we are but I tell you all that I know." He shifts himself to get comfortable and continues.

"It is true, normally the hikers and holiday makers, we call them travellers, can not see us, I assume that we occupy the same space but we are in a different frequency. Who are we? Well that is not fully clear to me but I suppose that's the same with all the people, do we ever really know who we are?

But let's not get too philosophical. The boys here all have something in common, at one point in their lives they have been close to death, may it be an accident, a suicide attempt, or just witnessing another person die, this experience has somehow left a part of their souls here in this reality.
We don't age here, we stay the same although time passes. I can understand that there is another version of us in another reality as you just told me but I have no recollection of this."

He looks into my face and waits for me to process this information. It does make sense to me in a way but it also produces more questions.
"But that doesn't explain why I'm here? Why can I see you when others don't?" I ask.

He contemplates for a moment "I guess it is because you are similar to us but not yet the same, you belong to both realities in a way. I think you must have an experience with death as well or maybe you will have it soon. Look, this is only a speculation, I don't know these things for sure but that's what would make sense to me." He holds up his hands defensively probably because he fears I might freak out about his explanation but I simply nod at his reply, yes, that would make sense in a way.

After all the weird things that happened to me recently I am way past the freaking out stage. I try to remember if I had any near death experience but my mind stays blank. I just hope I don't think about killing myself in the other reality.
"Can I ask you something?" Austin snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Sure" I mile back at him. It's only fair to let him ask questions too.

He bends forward closer to my ear and his voice is low his eyes stay transfixed on mine. "Do we know each other over there?"
His voice is almost seductive but there is a gleam in his eyes as if he is about to make a joke.

I have to giggle. "Yes Austin, we know each other." I sigh. "But to answer your next question straight away. No. I don't know what we are but we are on good terms and seem pretty close but that is all that I can remember. I'm sorry."

He grins holding my shoulders and gently pressing me to his side. "No, don't be sorry, that's perfectly fine."

There is another question that occupies my mind. "You said the boys have something in common, so what about you, then. Why are you here?"

He smiles widely and sits up holding out his hands. "Well, Mel. That is what makes me the king. They all have been close to death. I actually was there. I have been dead once."